Nokia 3310 throwback phone is officially coming to Australia

A new version of the classic Nokia 3310 mobile phone will launch in Australia in October, complete with a customisable retro interface, an MP3 player and of course a version of the classic mobile game Snake.

At an event in Sydney on Thursday, HMD revealed that the throwback feature phone had been fitted with 3G capabilities for Australia, and will launch in mid-October for $89.95.

«Our reimagining of the Nokia 3310 has been a global and cultural phenomenon», said HMD’s chief product officer Juho Sarvikas in a release.

The 3G 3310 looks a lot like the original from the early 2000s, but with a more modern screen.

«In a world dominated by smartphones, the mix of nostalgia and a beautiful phone that just keeps going has captured people’s imagination. Our fans around the world have been asking for this iconic phone to support 3G. Fans asked, we listened, and today welcome the Nokia 3310 3G».

The phone features a 1200mAh battery that HMD says will let it last for 27 days in standby, 6.5 hours of continuous phone calls or around 40 hours of MP3 playback. It also has a 2.4-inch colour screen beneath a curved window for better visibility in sunlight, a 2MP camera, an LED torch, FM radio, Bluetooth and support for microSD cards up to 32GB.

The move to 3G means the phone doesn’t quite have the longevity of the 2G version HMD announced in February, which could last for 22 hours of talk time, but the upside will be better connectivity. Now that it doesn’t have to rely on ancient internet services like GPRS and EDGE, the 3310 3G should offer a basic but competent internet browsing experience through its built-in Opera Mini app.

It remains to be seen whether the new 3310, likes it near-unbreakable namesake, is built to take a beating and keep on working.